When DS went to preschool and kindy and tried to make conversational contact with other children on the basis of very weird scientific interests of his, it became a serious social problem for him.
Some socially and intellectually gifted kids I know are better at adapting-- they can turn on the unusual topics sometimes, and they show a good bit of all-around smartness and engagement with the world, but they can turn the unusual topics off when they're among kids who aren't interested, and they know the difference. What DS lacks is that flexibility, and it's a real hindrance. As far as I can tell, that's a big part of the AS in his case, and distinguishes him from non-AS gifted kids.
Right, right--I see how it could be a problem if it affects socialization negatively. In DD's case, she has never bothered uninterested people with her enthusiasms and seems to know that other kids do not care about warblers. In fact, I would say she keeps her enthusiasms close to the vest.
